Get your fave pony fit with This Esme

Posted 7th February 2022

This Esme’s guide to creating the perfect pony fitness plan

Making sure your pony’s fit enough to do all the fun things you have planned is really important, because it’ll make sure he’s got enough energy to enjoy the activities and reduce his risk of injury. Whether you’re bringing your pony back into work after a break or simply boosting his existing fitness levels to prepare you for spring comps, it’s essential to do it the right way.

Make a plan

The first – and most important – step is to make a plan for how you’ll progress your pony’s fitness. This should include what you’ll do, when you’ll do it and the duration of each session. Make sure your pony’s work is really varied, including flatwork, jumping, hacking and groundwork, if possible. This will keep him interested and give him a well-rounded workout routine.

Top Tip

Why not make your fitness plan with a friend so you can work through it together? It’ll help you both stay on track and have more fun in the process!

Interval training

An activity that human athletes use to get fitter and faster, interval training’s a great way to boost your pony’s fitness. It involves sessions that mix separate periods of walk, trot and canter, gradually increasing the amount of time spent in trot and canter, and reducing the minutes of walking as your pony’s fitness improves.

Your pony’ll need a basic fitness level before you start interval training, but here’s an example…